Piano attachment



(No Model.)

J. H. MOYER.

PIANO ATTACHMENT.

No. 601,157 Patented Mar.22,1898.

I 97Z1DTQP Jssemyer yzww UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE HECHLER MOYER, OF TEMPLE, TEXAS.

PIANO ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Iletters Patent No. 601,157, dated March 22, 1898.

Application filed October 24, 1896. Serial No. 609,977. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J ESSE HECHLER Moran, a citizen of the United States, residing at'lemple, in the county of Bell and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Piano Attachment, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to piano attachments, and has relation to that class of devices employed to produce harp,mando'lin cith ern, an d analogous tones; and the object in view is to provide simple and efticient means for facilitating the adjustment of the means employed for producing said tones and forlocking said means in operative position.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view, partly broken away, of a piano, to which is applied an attachment constructed in accordance with my invention, the pedal, which is employed for operating the tongue-bar, being secured in its depressed or operative position. Fig. 2 is a detail view in perspective of the pedal-lock detached. Fig. 3 is a rear View of the same. Fig. 4 is a detail View in perspective of the pedal-lock stop detached.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the draw- 1ngs.

1 designates a tongue-bar having tongues 2 constructed substantially as shown and described in my pending application, Serial No. 593,615, filed May 29, 1896, and 3 represents an operating-pedal located, preferably, between the usual sustaining and soft pedals 4 and 5 and operatively connected with the tongue-bar, whereby the depression of said operating-pedal has a similar effect upon the tongue-bar and thereby brings the tongues into the paths of the hammers for engagement, respectively, thereby. These connections may be of any suitable construction and include, for instance, levers 7, terminally connected to the tongue-bar and adapted to receive motion from the operating-pedal by means of push-bars 8.

Arranged in operative relation with the pedal 4 is a pedal-lock 9, pivoted, as at 10, to the pedal-guard 11 and adapted to swing over and occupy a position in the path of the operating-pedal when the latter is depressed to bring the tongue-bar into operative position. This pedal-lock consists of a plate having a beveled lower edge 12 to bear upon the upper edge of the upper surface of the pedal and corresponding in inclination with the latter when the pedal is depressed to avoid abrading the surface of the pedal, and at one side of the plate or body portion of the lock is arranged a releasingear 13 for lateral pressure by the toe of the operator when it is desired to dis engage the look from the pedal.

It will be understood that the toe of the foot by which the pedal is depressed is located contiguous to the plane of the outer surface of the body portion of the pedal-lock, whereby a slight lateral movement to the left of the toe is sufficient to swing the lock out of the path of the pedal and thereby allow the lat ter to resume its normal or elevated position. The opposite corner 14 of the body portion or plate of the pedal-lock is rounded and beveled, whereby when the pedal-lock is swung to the left sufiiciently to bring said beveled corner into contact with the pedal the lock is fully displaced by the upward pressure of the pedal against said rounded and beveled corner. Hence when it is desired to release the pedal a slight lateral displacement of the lock is sufficient. It is unnecessary by reason of the above-described construction to move the pedal-lock entirely out of the path of the pedal.

In order to limit the swinging movement of the pedal-lock toward the right or toward its engaging position,l employ a stop 15,which may be provided, as illustrated in the drawings, with an angularly-disposed base-plate 16, arranged beneath or otherwise permanently secured to the pedal-guard, said stop being provided with suit-able padding in the path of the pedal-lock to avoid jarring when the pedal-lock reaches its operative position in engagement with the pedal.

The advantage of the above-described construction resides in the fact that when it is desired to bring the tongue-bar into operative position it is simply necessary to depress the operating pedal. Said parts are held in the adjusted position by the lock until it is desired by the operator to return the tongue bar to its normal position, when a slight lateral touch applied to the pedal-lock will displace it and allow the pedal to resume its ele vated or normal position.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination with a piano-case and pedal, of a pedal-lock consisting of a plate mounted for lateral swinging movement contiguous to the pedal, and yieldingly held in operative relation therewith to engage and secure the pedal in an adjusted position, and a releasing-ear, carried by said plate, exposed without the piano-case at a point above and contiguous to the upper surface of the pedal, when the swinging plate is in engagement therewith, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with an instrument having a pedal and a contiguous ped al-guard, of a pedal-lock having a pivotal plate mounted upon the exposed surface of the pedalguard above the pedal and yieldingly held by gravity in operative relation therewith, a releasing-ear projecting forwardly from said plate and arranged above and contiguous to the upper surface of the pedal when the plate is in engagement with the latter, and a contiguous cushioned cooperating stop 15 arranged in the path of said plate and having an ear interposed between said guard and the 0011- tiguous portion of the instrument-case, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JESSE IIEUHLER MOYER.

Vitnesses:

J. K. CAMPBELL, H. H. SwINK. 

